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Educators today can teach online from potentially anywhere in the world. With many schools, including K-12 programs, offering hybrid or remote learning online, teaching online is a career path for educators who know how to implement effective learning strategies to improve the virtual classroom experience.

Learning to teach online

Even for those teachers who don’t plan on teaching online exclusively, learning these��online teaching strategies��can be helpful. After all, being able to switch between in-person and virtual teaching environments is also an important skill to open online opportunities.

Teachers looking to make this shift — or who want some new ideas for virtual teaching — may want to consider��expanding their knowledge��of the technology available to them and strategies for developing effective lessons, no matter which modality they use.

Because online learning is a pathway in��K-12 education, there are many potential approaches to take. Here are some things to know, from exploring what “teaching online” means today to identifying the most effective strategies to reach online students.

What online teaching formats exist?

While exploring the possibilities inherent to teaching online, it can be helpful to review the different formats available.

First, consider whether instructor-led or self-led classes are more desirable. There is a significant difference between the two. Instructor-led classes are usually “live” in the sense that teachers can interact with students while the lecture or course is unfolding in the��virtual classroom.

Another instructional strategy centers on self-led courses, which are the “manual” option for students: They generally watch prerecorded lectures on their own time. This asynchronous instructional format means students can catch up on��coursework or lectures at any point before a certain deadline or before the next one is available to stream online.

These two systems offer different levels of flexibility and focus for both students and educators. Online students who choose self-led classes may have busy work and family schedules. That can make it hard to sit for live lectures at appointed times.

Online teachers enjoy similar flexibility with the self-led format. They can prerecord their lectures and upload them and other course content at any time of day before they are due online. This then frees them up to tackle other tasks, like grading, developing lesson plans or working on research or other projects within in their professional field.

Five strategies for online teaching

So, what can make an online classroom as effective as an in-person one? Here are��five proven ways that educators teaching online can hit the mark:

1. Break it down: Explain each subject and topic in��a brief overview��before beginning so students can identify the important takeaway. For example, stating, “The Confederacy lost the Civil War,” might be the takeaway or course lecture title, which an instructor would then follow up with details on who, why and how.
2. Keep it relevant: People pay attention when they care about the subject, so try to find a relatable angle, even if the topic seems otherwise removed. Studying Russian tsars might not seem like a topic most modern learners would care about, but making the connection to current U.S.-Russian relations can help spark engagement.
3. Mix up resources: Lectures have their time and place, but today’s teachers have access to a wealth of multimedia materials — and students benefit from them. Explore various options.
4. Let students create content: The best way to master something? Create something. Invite students to develop a presentation, video or group discussion that can be implemented in the classroom.
5. Give students time to��reflect: It can be tempting to use every minute of class for active teaching, but it pays to build in time for student reflection. Asking, “Did anyone think of an example just now from your everyday lives?” can open the door to exploring a subject from a different angle and potentially understand it in a new way.

More methodologies for effective teaching online

No matter where an educator is teaching, the��following tips��can help maximize instructional strategies.

• Record your classes. Livestreaming is hamstrung by the same time constraints as in-person classes. Recording and sharing lectures gives learners the ability to access them as it’s possible or convenient for them.
• Stay��on camera. Staying visible while teaching online, whether pre-recorded or live, allows students to feel connected and more comfortable engaging.
• Keep videos snappy. Creating a dynamic teaching online strategy means using media to support lessons, not dominate them. Incorporate a variety of features, such as lectures, videos, discussions, and breakout groups.
• Set students up for success. When a lesson calls for an extended video, identify the window of time that is most important. If, for example, the crux of a video happens between 13 and 16 minutes, let your students know they need to see that part. Doing so can offer the added benefit of piquing students’ curiosity to watch the whole thing.
• Do a presentation rehearsal. Practice makes perfect, even for teachers. Do a run-through for every lecture or classroom discussion and draw on teaching experience to make the online environment as impactful as a physical classroom.
• Include links. Offering more avenues for further reading empowers students to follow up as necessary.
• Use open source materials/public domain images. Anything else might prevent students from��being able to access them.
• Make it interactive. Consider a��learning management system��(LMS),��which offers a range of functions to create interactive learning activities such as quizzes. Also, creating small groups for online discussions can create a more dynamic experience.
• Tie attendance to questions��or quizzes. If students have to answer a question from the lecture to be counted as present, teachers will have both good attendance��and��engagement.
• Use game-based��learning. This engages students in the learning process so that, rather than passively receiving information (and retaining a questionable amount), students connect with the material and master it.

Learn more about teaching online

Are you interested in learning more about improving your teaching online and implementing other educational formats? ������Ƶ offers education programs, including an early childhood education degree program, an MAEd online program, and an online Ed.D.

Contact ������Ƶ for more information.